The women's golf team got a chance to do something most sports teams don't get a chance to get away with öö blame something else for a loss.

Rain postponed, and finally resulted in the cancellation of, the final round of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at the Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes, Calif.

Hard rain caused the tournament to be called when the tournament director decided the course couldn't handle the half-inch that had fallen yesterday.

The team was in third place after the second round, and was only eight shots out of the lead held by a surprising Pepperdine squad that came away with the first-place trophy.

Arizona posted the best team score on the second day by six shots with a total 301 in windy and rainy conditions.

The team looked like it would make a run, but the number one golfers in the nation were held in check by mother nature yesterday.

Erica Blasberg continued her impressive year with a tie for second place, keeping her streak of top threes intact with four tournaments in a row.

The freshman didn't let the bad weather halt her assault on the field Tuesday, tying the best round of the day with a closing 74 even after a triple-bogey on the tenth hole.

Her total (71, 74) 145 was just one shot off the champion Katherine Hull of Pepperdine, and put her in a tie with Charlotte Mayorkas from UCLA.

Blasberg wasn't the only Wildcat to play a solid tournament.

Miriam Kraschinkski let two consistent rounds of (75, 77 = 152) put her in a tie for 13th place. The sophomore, who won earlier this year at the Fall Preview, was the only other Wildcat in the top 20.

The Wildcats will be back in action Feb. 24 ÷ 26 in Tucson hosting the Wildcat Invitational.